The reformed BA programme (GY101)
at NUI Galway
Dr Edward Herring, Dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies
| 3 October 2014
College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies
Background to the reform
• GY101 is the second largest degree programme nationally in terms of student
intake
• In the last two years, the popularity of the programme has declined
• There are many reasons for this, including national and local demographic
trends; a wider decline in interest in arts and social sciences courses, because of
their perceived lack of vocational direction; the economic crisis leading some
students to opt for courses are local HEIs; and partly because of issues to do with
the structure and content of our programme
College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies
Key changes
• A reduction from four to three subjects in First Arts, in order to encourage students to
focus on their core interests earlier and to build a deep engagement with their subjects
• Identification of potential pathways through the degree and leading to major career areas,
to encourage students to select more coherent subject choices
• Restrictions on progression to Second Arts have been reduced, thereby simplifying the
programme structure and providing clarity for students
• An emphasis on professionalism and how this transfers from the classroom to the
workplace
• A greater focus on skills-oriented learning for successful study and as a preparation for
future careers
College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies
Key principles that guided the reform
• No dilution of the integrity and core values of the BA – indeed, engagement with
the student’s principal subjects will increase from 75 to 80 ECTS over the
duration of a three-year degree.
• No reduction to the average contact hours for students on the programme
• The skills modules will be embedded in the disciplinary training so that they will
not be seen as an irrelevance or a distraction by students
• Students will have between 25 and 50 per cent of their First Year programme
devoted to core skills delivered in a disciplinary context. These will be assessed in
non-traditional ways using Learning Outcomes to map the skills taught
• Up to half of First Year will be assessed by Continuous Assessment
College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies
The new programme structure
College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies
Equipping students for success
• The skills-oriented modules will focus on graduate attributes, i.e. what skills an Arts and
Social Sciences graduate should have, how a student’s attainment of these can be assessed
and demonstrated, and raising student awareness of these skills in order to prepare them to
make effective applications for jobs and/or further study
• Making greater use of diverse assessment and teaching methods, such as blogging,
presentations, wikis, etc., to promote and demonstrate the acquisition of transferable skills
• A dedicated Induction Week to help students with the transition to Third Level by
promoting understanding of what is expected of them; how their programme is structured;
how to be professional as a student; introducing them to the Virtual Learning Environment
and other student supports; and helping them to make earlier and better subject choices
• This week will also be used to promote the benefits of study abroad opportunities
College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies
Rebranding the degree
• The degree has been repackaged as a Joint-Honours BA, with all of the possible
two-subject combinations made visible to prospective students. Incoming students
will be able to identify their main subjects early, because of the dedicated
Orientation Week
• Marketing will focus on clarity and coherence of student pathways rather than the
wide menu of choice
• The new skills-orientation should equip students better for the transition to
university, for success at the higher levels of academic study, and for careerreadiness on graduation
• While the skills are embedded within disciplines, they are intended to make our
graduates more marketable to potential employers
College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies
And some good news!
• NUI Galway is Ireland’s top university for graduate employment
• Our students are regular winners in the UA Undergraduate Awards
• We offer lots of international study opportunities in the EU, North
and South America, and now China
• We have extensive archival holdings, which are a unique resource for
our staff and students. We also have partnerships with Druid Theatre,
the Abbey Theatre, and the Galway Arts Festival
• Staff of the College are involved in the largest theatre digital archive
project ever undertaken – the digitization of the Abbey Theatre
Archive
•We have excellent facilities and staff who are outstanding teachers
and researchers